Bulgarian Parliament to Probe 'High-Power' Corruption

The establishment of the Temporary Anti-corruption Committee was passed in the Bulgarian Parliament by 179 MPs voting for, 53 – against, while 1 abstained. File photo

The Bulgarian Parliament voted Thursday to establish a temporary inquiry committee to probe corruption among senior officials.

The proposal came from the leader of the marginal conservative Order, Law and Justice party, RZS, Yane Yanev, who after threatening to "fire" Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, during the 2011 presidential elections, recently turned into his and his ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, strongest ally.

The Committee will be probing cases where there are facts, information, documented public investigations, even dismissed cases of corruption involving senior officials, leading to personal benefits for the latter, deprivation and damages for the State. It will work for six months and will include 13 Members of the Parliament – 6 from GERB, 2 from the opposition, left-wing Coalition for Bulgaria, 2 from the ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms, DPS, 1 from the right-wing Blue Coalition, 1 from the far-right, nationalist Ataka, and 1 independent MP.

Despite strong statements from the opposition against the proposal the establishment of the Committee was passed by 179 MPs voting for, 53 – against, while 1 abstained.

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